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The Angkor Empire Wikia
CodeKEEM=Deez nuts bitch Geography The Angkor/Khmer empire occupied an extremely large portion of South Asia. The empire expanded to reach Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. The entire Khmer empire is made up of groups of smaller Khmer kingdoms. The Empires capital would change regularly due to the constant change of rulers or kings. These capitals include: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Jayendanagari, Yasodharapura and Hariharata. All of these cities were located at fertile regions of the Tonle Sap. A majority of these cities are located very close to each other which allows for easy access from city to city. The climate of the Khmer Empire was extremely hot and because of this, the Khmer people were only clothed from the waist down. Within the Empire was the Mekong River. The Mekong river's main water source resides in the Tonle Sap Lake. The river was 4350km long and the Angkor Wat used the Tonle Sap Lake as a source for water in the form of aqueducts which hydrated people and food in the form of fish and rice farms. Today, the kingdom only resides in Vietnam and Cambodia. People of the empire were given the ability to build floating houses and villages on the Mekong River. There were very few roads during the time of the Khmer empire so the people used the Mekong River to function as a trade route. It was incredibly successful due to the fact that the river expands throughout the Khmer empire and even to the Gulf of Siam. Water was used in moats which surrounded buildings of royalty like the Angkor Wat. Rice was the primary crop for the Khmer and so the Khmer people also used the Mekong River as a rice field. They created many canals and irrigation systems which allowed for 4 harvests a year. In the time of the wet seasons, the Mekong River would often flood and destroy the farms. To mediate this problem the farmers created reservoirs and dams to ensure they could control the flow of water. This water could then be used for the harvest the following year. This made farming extremely efficient and assured a harvest every year which was vital due to droughts. It is these tactics which made the Khmer Empire known for their mastery of water. Some of the harvest was used in trade and made the Empire extremely wealthy and allowed for the construction of many religious buildings. Today, the Khmer Empire only resides in Cambodia and is a tourist attraction. The Temples and buildings are overgrown with flora. Many of the destroyed buildings have been restored to what they once were. It is especially well known for the Angkor Wat which is the largest religious building ever created. By Lawrence Lam Social Organisation The society of the Khmer empire was a hierarchy, much like other older cultures. A hierarchy is a social organisation in which everyone has their place on a social structure. Predominately, the rich were high on the social structure and the poor were low on the social structure. The social structure came to be after the rule of king Jayavarman II. The Khmer society were dependant on kings and temples. The aristocrats were in charge of land and resources for the village temples. The temples acted like storage due to the majority of resources in the temples. People of lower ranks gave the king and nobles donations of food and gold in return for protection and legal power. All the different ranks of people were dependant on each other. Kings Kings in the Khmer Empire were believed to have powers. Kings were the highest rank on the social structure and because of this nobles and military leaders were required to swear an oath of loyalty. If the oath was broken, the punishments were severe. The kings were believed to be Hindu Gods on Earth to lead and bring life to their empire. The kings responsibilities include: temples, the nobles as well as the people. The kings were required to respect his people no matter what rank of the social structure they are in. The homes of the kings were the most grand. Within the palace, there were pillars and beams for supporting the large building structure. On the pillars were carvings of Buddha and the tiling on the royal palace was made up of yellow clay. Nobles Nobles were the second highest rank on the social structure of the Khmer Empire. It is said that nobles had just as much power over the Khmer inherited to them by the king however the nobles still had to pledge utter and complete allegiance to the king. Nobles or aristocrats were in charge of land, resources, food and armies. In a battle, the nobles were the leaders of their army. Taxes were payed to the nobles in which a majority of the taxes were taken to the temples. Peasants and Artisans Peasant were the 2nd lowest rank of the social structure of the Khmer Empire. Peasants did the manual labour in the empire. The most bcommon work for the peasants was working on the rice farm. Tending to the rice farm was regarded as the most important job due to the economic system built upon trade and the Khmer Empires main stock being rice. Peasants would also go fishing for food to feed their families as well as donating to the nobles as tax. Other peasants also worked as merchants who would trade with other kingdoms and empires. The merchants were predominantly women whereas the men worked as fishermen and rice farmers. The peasants were poor and lived in very bad conditions. The houses had thatched roofs, no furniture and no tiling. It is said that if a peasant attempted to build a house in the form of that of a nobleman's, the peasant would be punished. Along side the peasants were the artisans. In the time of the Khmer Empire, there were very few artisans. Artisans had the same life as a peasant but rather than working on farms and trade, artisans worked on crafting and construction. Artisans were extremely important in a battle because they were in charge of creating weapons and because of this, nobles put a lot of trust in them. Slaves Slaves were the lowest on the social structure of The Khmer Empire. The history of the slaves is not clear but there have been two theories as to what role the slaves played in the Khmer society. The first theory is that the slaves were prisoners of war captured and forced to work for the nobles. Peasants could also become slaves if they were unable to pay taxes. The second theory as to what slave were was that the slaves were servants of temples. These 'temple slaves' worked for the priests. However most historians don't consider the temple slaves as slaves at all. Monks and Priests The monks were in equal rank with the nobles during the time of Mahayana. The monks and priests were hereditary meaning that they must earn and inherit the role. The priest, or Brahmin, as they were called, had quite luxurious lives. The priests were often isolated from the rest of the empire and lived rather a quiet life due to praying and worshiping in temples for a majority of their day. The Brahmin's power in the Empire was based on the temple and religion and because of the impact the temples had on the social structure, the Brahmin had almost full control of the Empire. Their power would eventually fall during the rise of Theravada Buddhism. This was because the rank of Monk or priest became no longer hereditary so anyone could become a priest. This made the rank of monks and priests drop to an equal rank with the peasants. By Lawrence Lam Religion During the time of the Angkor empire, animism was the original religion. Animism is the belief that Gods are present in all natural phenomenons such as rain, harvest and animals. However Animism was forgotten and 2 religions became more popular than the others. These two religions are Buddhism and Hinduism. Among these 2, Hinduism took precedence. There are many Hindu buildings in the Khmer empire. One of which is the Angkor Wat which is the largest religious building in the world. Hinduism Hinduism came to the Khmer empire through the trade routes. There were many Chinese and Indian traders who influenced the people of the Khmer Empire about their religion, Hinduism. From the 9th to the 12th century, the Indian religion known as Hinduism became the Primary religion of the Empire. The people of the Khmer Empire found a fondness towards Hinduism because the Indians who visited the Empire were flourishing and seemed elegant. The Khmer people believed that the Hindu Gods gave the Indians prosperity and strength. The Khmer people built temples and shrines for the Hindu Gods in hope that they would protect the Khmer people. The People of Khmer particularly followed three Hindu Gods: Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Hindu temples in the Khmer empire were found to have inscriptions in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. The inscriptions show that people used the language of Sanskrit in temples were used to communicate and worship Gods. Many of these inscriptions are written in the form of poetry. Buddhism Buddhism has been present in Cambodia since the 5th century. Buddhism in Khmer Empire had 2 branches of beliefs, Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism came to the Khmer Empire at the end of the 12th century. It is said that Mahayana Buddhism became known through trade much like Hinduism however it was Jayavarman VII who accepted it into the Empire. In the years of the Khmer empire there have been many Buddhist kings such as Jayavarman VII and Suryavarman I. From this, Buddhist temples were built and monks resided in the temples meditating. Mahayana Buddhism is a branch of beliefs which state that people should be unselfish and be enlightened through helping others. Unlike Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism believes that everyone goes to heaven. In the 15th century Theravada Buddhism became the dominant Buddhism religion. However during the DK period, Buddhism, along with other religions, were destroyed. Buddhist temples were destroyed and Monks were slaughtered. Buddhist practices were forbidden until it was revived in 1985. Theravada Buddhism follows the earliest teachings of Buddha. Some of these teachings state that people must chooses the 'enlightened path' and everyone after death is reincarnated. It also states that people should be pure in heart so they maybe reincarnated to a better life. Differences and Similarities Hinduism and Buddhism were the primary religions in the time of the Khmer Empire. In today's world, one of the most well known religions is Christianity. Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are vastly different but they do have some similarities which can't be over looked. Similarities-Buddhism and Hinduism -both have idols and temples. -both originated in India. -both religions are Dharma religions. -the concept of angels are not present in the religions. -not gender bias. -the concept of karma is present in both religions. Similarities-Buddhism and Christianity -Both have religious scriptures. -Both have multiple forms of the religion. -Both religions are present today. -not gender bias. Similarities- Hinduism and Christianity -Both religions are present today. -Both have over 1 billion followers of the religion. -not gender bias. Differences- Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism -The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. -The sacred texts of Buddhism are the Tripitaka and Sutras. -The sacred texts of Hinduism are the Vedas. -Buddhism and Hinduism have multiple religious texts as to Christianity which only has one. -The founder of Christianity is Jesus Christ. -The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama who was dubbed Buddha meaning enlightened one. -There is no founder of Hinduism. -Christianity's most well known symbol is the cross. -Hinduism's most well known symbol is the Aum. -Buddhism's most well known symbol is the Dharma wheel. -Christians are forbidden to build temples and statues of worship. -Buddhists and Hindus repeatedly use shrines and statues for worship. -Buddhists do not follow a God.(Buddha is not a God) -Hindus follow multiple Gods. -Christians believe that after death, people spend eternity in either heaven or hell. -Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation. -Buddhism and Hinduism originated in India. -Christianity originated in Israel. By Lawrence Lam Events Of Significance 9th century 10th century 11th century 12th century 13th century 14th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century 21st century By Chevaarn Goonesekera Significant individuals Jayavarman II Jayavarman II, posthumous name Paramesvara (literally, Supreme Lord) (born c. 770—died 850, Hariharalaya, Cambodia), founder of the Khmer, or Cambodian, empire and outstanding member of the series of rulers of the Angkor period (802–1431). Among Jayavarman II’s accomplishments were the deification of the Cambodian monarchy, the establishment of the devarāja cult as the official state religion, and the reunification of the old kingdom of Chenla, which he expanded and formed into the Khmer empire. Possibly of Khmer descent, Jayavarman II came from Java, where he had been in captivity or exile, to succeed to the throne as Java’s vassal around 800. An unwilling puppet, he defied the Javanese and asserted Khmer independence in 802, when he also was installed under Hindu rites as devarāja, or god-king. He established a series of capitals, first at Indrapura, on the lower Mekong River east of Kâmpóng (Kompong) Cham; then, moving northwards, at Hariharalaya, southeast of present-day Siĕmréab (Siem Reap); and then at Mahendraparvata, in the region just north of the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), not far from Angkor, the next seat of the Khmer empire, which remained its capital for 600 years. Suryavarman II PCambodian king renowned as a religious reformer and temple builder. Under his rule the temple of Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious structure, was constructed. Suryavarman defeated rival claimants to the throne and established sole rule over Cambodia by 1113, reuniting the country after more than 50 years of unrest. Warlike and ambitious, he expanded the limits of Cambodia to include much of what is now Thailand; his patronage stretched as far west as the frontiers of the Burmese state of Pagan, south to the coast of the Gulf of Thailand (including part of the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula), and east to the kingdom of Champa in the southern part of what is now Vietnam. Suryavarman was formally crowned in 1113, with his guru, the powerful priest Divakarapandita, presiding. The king was a religious reformer who blended the mystical cults of Vishnu and Shiva, supreme Hindu deities, and promulgated Vaishnavism as the official religion, rather than Buddhism, which had briefly flourished under his predecessors. From 1123 until 1136 Suryavarman waged a series of unsuccessful campaigns against Dai Viet, the Vietnamese kingdom that had asserted its independence from China in 939. He attempted a land attack through Laos to Nghe An in 1128 and met with defeat. A few months later, Suryavarman’s fleet of 700 junks began a long harassment along the coast in the Gulf of Tonkin. Suryavarman persuaded the kingdom of Champa to assist him in these efforts, but in 1136 the Cham king, Jaya Indravarman III, defected and made an alliance with the Vietnamese. Suryavarman deposed the Cham king in 1144 and annexed Champa in the following year. The Chams, under a new leader, King Jaya Harivarman I, defeated Khmer troops in a decisive battle at Chakling, near Phan Rang, in southern Vietnam. Suryavarman put his brother-in-law, Harideva, on the Cham throne, but Jaya Harivarman I deposed him and reclaimed that throne. In 1150 Suryavarman died in the midst of a new campaign against Champa, leaving his people exhausted by war and victimized by the once-subservient Chams, who eventually ravaged Angkor. RISE TO POWER 1) The adoption of Indian doctrines of deva-raja or "god-king" The ancient Khmer kings adopted a successful monarchy system of Indian civilization as the replica. Being revered as the "god-king" or deva-raja, the Khmer kings were able to rule over the empire with divine kingship and absolute power. This enhanced the kings to mobilize large manpower to serve in its military force to defend the nation as well as to invade the neighbors. In addition, the kings could maintain their extensive irrigation system which was the prime factor of its successful economy with their Khmer laborers and foreign slaves. Moreover, the kings surrounded themselves with the wise men or the "learned" Khmer Brahmins as their counselors. The Brahmins were known to have acquire vast knowledge which were inherited from father to sons or taught only within the family. These learned Brahmins help the kings to run an efficient administration of the country, and thus resulted in stronger empire. 2) Strategic Location Well-chosen strategic location of the Angkor by its founder Jayavarman II hampered the attack by its potential enemies which enable its existence for over 6 centuries. The Angkor was situated in the North of Tonle Sap Lake, and the only possible way for invaders to bring in a large enough troop to fight against the Angkor is by sailing upstream from the Mekong River. Geographically, the Angkor was protected by rugged thick forests from all sides. There were no well-developed roads, and the land access with large military force could turn out into a tragedy. The troops and weapons had to be delivered in a long line which could not support one another in case of being attack. A good example is the Persian invasion to the Greeks during the 4th and 5th B.C. Greece for instance was protected by high mountains. Although the Persian was far more superior and much more in number, it could hardly win over the Greeks. When the enemies intended to attack the Angkor, they have to sail up from the Mekong River only to meet with the strong naval force of Angkor upstream. The enemy's battle ships moved slower thus became an easier target of being attacked and sunk. Throughout the history of over 600 years, Angkor lose only one major naval battle on Tonle Sap Lake to Champa in 1171. 3) Mastery over Water Control The geographical location of the Angkor Empire itself faces two extreme seasons, i.e. the heavy rainfall during Monsoon and the dry period during the off-Monsoon season. Numerous large reservoirs, dikes, moats and ponds helped significantly to prevent floods over the farmland during the heavy rainfall in Monsoon and to conserve water storage for use during the dry season. The efficient and extensive irrigation system of the ancient Khmer enabled the empire to cultivate crops two to three times a year which led to high productivity and strong economy of the Angkor Empire. FALL FROM POWER 1) Introduction of Theravada Buddhism The pillar of the Angkor Civilization was supported by the religious belief of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. The monarchs being regarded as the god-king were able to motivate the dedication of their people to serve the throne as a divine service. The empire's extensive irrigation system and military troops required massive laborers and manpower to maintain. The introduction of Theravada Buddhism in 13th century to the Khmers had turned out to hurt sublimely the basic foundation of the Angkor Empire in the long run. Theravada Buddhism taught the people to seek self-enlightenment, abandon worldly things and discourage any superstition belief which directly or indirectly means all deities and all evils. The sovereignty of the Angkorian monarch as a "god-king" or deva-raja was basically challenged. 2) Loss of Water Control Less devotion of the people to the "god-king" led negative impact to the empire. The Khmers seem unwilling to work wholeheartedly for the king as a holy service as they had previously did. The formerly efficient irrigation and drainage system became silted up with less water supply and the rice crops, used to be cultivated two or three times a year, were dramatically dropped, thus weaken the productivity and the strength of the Angkor Empire. 3) External Threats As neighboring states of the Angkor grew, they became a major threat to the empire, especially the Thai State of Ayuthaya in the Chaophaya River Basin to the West. In order to protect the empire, the Angkor had to direct portion of its manpower to secure strong armed forces, which in turn, deprived itself from giving good maintenance to its irrigation system. 4) Double-edged sword of Roads Network The road network built by Jayavarman VII had aided the transports of products and trades throughout the empire and also facilitated the Khmer troops to quell its neighbors. It had became a double-edged sword when the Angkor became weak as the invaders could easily marched in through this road network, instead of previously sailing up from the Mekong River. This turned out to be true when the newly emerged Ayuthaya, a Thai kingdom in the West became stronger. They use this road to march from the Chaophaya River basin through Phnomrung (in Burirum of modern Thailand) and then through Aranyapathet to attack right at the heart of Angkor and finally sacked the empire in 1431. The glory of the Angkor Civilization was terminated since that time. By Chevaarn Goonesekera References http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/khmer-empire http://buddhism.about.com/od/eightauspicioussymbols/a/The-Dharma-Wheel.htm http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Hinduism http://www.religionfacts.com/symbols/aum http://www.cambodia-travel.com/khmer/society.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRRIJG88lx4 http://www.cambodianview.com/buddhist-history.htm http://www.britannica.com/place/Mekong-River http://www.ancient.eu/Khmer_Empire/ http://thekhmerempire.yolasite.com http://www.britannica.com/biography/Jayavarman-VII http://thekhmerkngdom.yolasite.com Oxford Big Ideas-Australian Curriculum by: Maggy Saldais, Richard Smith, Tony Taylor, Carmel Young.